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See Research StudiesChoosing the right business school is an important decision, particularly for working professionals who want to continue working while pursuing their degree.
When deciding which business school is best to pursue an Executive MBA program, you first must determine what you want from your EMBA experience. What is important to you? How much time can you take off work and managing other commitments? Some key considerations are: schedule, locations, program format, global content, admission requirements, and costs.
If you’re looking for a prestigious EMBA program, that is challenging, intensive, yet flexible, with a global business focus, you can choose from Europe’s world renowned international business schools: IE Business School, INSEAD, and London Business Schools.
The Executive MBA program is perfect for executives and business professionals working while obtaining their degree. Especially for people working in industries that deal with an international audience.
IE Business School offers a 15-month Global Executive MBA blended program, a combination of online interactive courses and five residential periods. Perfect for those who wish remain steps ahead in their industry and run businesses at a global level. INSEAD offers a 14 to 17-month fast track Global Executive MBA program (GEMBA). What is unique about the GEMBA program, is that students get an opportunity to participate in a Leadership Development Program (LDP), as part of their course study. The LDP is designed to help participants find their own unique leadership style. As part of LDP, each participant spend time on site at a fellow participant’s business, to study and learn diverse business practices first-hand.
“The Leadership Development Program was probably the biggest surprise,” says GEMBA alumnus, Bart Willems, who is currently the General Manager at Promasidor Djazair. “By the end of the GEMBA, some of my colleagues and our coach knew me better than some members of my own family. We’re still supporting each other today and see each other whenever we can.”
The Executive MBA program at London Business School is a 20-month program that is ideal for experienced executives who want to complete an EMBA program with minimal interruptions to their work schedules. Students can continue to work full time throughout the course of the program.
Global Content
Whether you choose the program at IE Business School, INSEAD, or London Business School, the world is your classroom. All three programs offer students the opportunity to travel to several regions in the world as part of their course study. At IE Business School the first and last residential periods are in Madrid, and the remaining three periods, students travel to Singapore, Los Angeles, and Sao Paulo, for a series of classes, workshops, and cultural immersion activities, learn and apply global strategy at a local level.
“It’s like giving a boost to your career, like having this feeling when you first graduated that everything is possible,” says Yannick St. Germain EMBA alumnus (IE Business School). “Well, give yourself the opportunity to make everything possible… again.”
IE partners up with local partners in each region, Singapore Management University, UCLA, and Insper Institute. The faculty is comprised of global executives with diverse backgrounds from multiple business schools.
The Global Executive program at INSEAD requires 12 weeks of on-campuses classes, located across three regions: Europe (France), Asia (Singapore), and Middle East (Abu Dhabi). During the first half of the program, students take classes on all three campuses, and then come together as a single class for the second half. The EMBA program at London Business School is located on two campuses, London and Dubai.
“I’m already benefiting from the confidence that the program has given me,” says Andrew Freeman EMBA alumnus (London Business School) 2012, who currently is the Advisor to Assistant Director General, WHO. “I’ve approached my new role with definite ideas in place and the opportunity to propose them. Long-term, I believe the skills I learned on the program will make a real difference in helping me reach a senior leadership position.”
In addition to the residential periods in either London or Dubai, EMBA students have the option to attend a Global Business Assignment in Argentina, Mexico City, Dubai, Beijing, or South Africa, to work on mini consulting projects.
View the Top EMBA Programs in Europe
Admission Requirements
Prospective applicants must complete an online application to begin the process.
IE requires all applicants to pass an initial evaluation by their Admissions Committee, and a minimum of ten years of professional work experience, including at least five years of managerial, international and transactional business experience. INSEAD GEMBA admission test is offered to prospective students as an alternative to taking the GMAT, and require 13 years of business experience, with least 3 years of managerial experience. Likewise, London Business school offers a similar alternative to the GMAT, the Executive Assessment (EA). The Executive Assessment is ideal for executives with time constraints. The EA is easy to schedule, short in time, requires little preparation. Approximately 10 years of senior level management experience is required.
Tuition
Tuition at IE for the Global EMBA is $82,000. The tuition at INSEAD varies depending on the location: Singapore $123,100; Abu Dhabi $115,000 and France $118,400. In some of the countries students can tax deduct their tuition payments. Similarly, at London Business School, tuition is based on campus location: London: £78, 250; Dubai: $114, 400. Merit and need based scholarships are available at all three schools, approximately 50% of program participants receive some form of corporate sponsorship.
Your Choice is the right one for you
In the end, choosing the right business school is a personal choice based on your specific career needs and the professional and personal development needed to take your career to the next level.
Patricia Janvier
Patricia Janvier is a freelance writer at Ivy Exec, community activist, and entrepreneur. She writes screenplays, TV treatments, and short stories. Her credits include award-winning film, Kinyarwanda. She also writes non-fiction on a variety of subjects, ranging from post disaster relief measures and social justice issues. She provides ghost writing and editing services for a number of corporate executives, attorneys, creative professionals, speakers and entrepreneurs.